The Taraba State government has suspended seven secondary school principals for allegedly sabotaging the free education program implemented by Governor Agbu Kefas.
The program aimed to provide free education in government public primary and secondary schools across the state, including payment of WAEC and NECO fees for all prospective candidates.
According to Commissioner of Education Augustina Yahaya, the suspended principals continued to extort money from students, undermining the state government’s policy. “All the suspended principals were sabotaging the freedom education policy of the current state government,” Yahaya said.
The affected schools include Government Day Secondary Schools in Kofai, Salihu Dogo, Kununi, Jouro Yinu, Kakulu, Takum, and Yakassai in Wukari. The principals were found to have engaged in various forms of extortion, including collecting money for NECO and selling WAEC slots to external students.
“The state government will leave no stone unturned to bring to book those working round the clock to make the policy a nightmare,” Yahaya warned.
The suspension of the principals serves as a strong message from the state government that it will not tolerate any attempts to undermine its efforts to provide free and quality education to its citizens.